White Noise (2005)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Geoffrey Sax

Writer:

Niall Johnson (written by)

Release Date:

7 January 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

The dead are trying to get a hold of you.

Plot:

An architect's desire to speak with his wife from beyond the grave, becomes an obsession with supernatural repercussions.

Plot Keywords:

Architect | Voice | Death | Widower | Electronic Voice Phenomena

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Michael Keaton	...	Jonathan Rivers
Chandra West	...	Anna Rivers
Deborah Kara Unger	...	Sarah Tate
Ian McNeice	...	Raymond Price
Sarah Strange	...	Jane
Nicholas Elia	...	Mike Rivers
Mike Dopud	...	Detective Smits
Marsha Regis	...	Police Woman
Brad Sihvon	...	Minister
Mitchell Kosterman	...	Work Man
L. Harvey Gold	...	Business Man
Amber Rothwell	...	Susie Tomlinson
Suzanne Ristic	...	Mary Freeman
Keegan Connor Tracy	...	Mirabelle Keegan
Miranda Frigon	...	Carol Black - Car Crash Woman
Aaron Douglas	...	Frank Black - Young Father
Anthony Harrison	...	Doctor
Bruce Dawson	...	Mark
Benita Ha	...	TV Reporter
Anastasia Corbett	...	EVP - Young Girl
Micki Maunsell	...	Edith Tomlinson (as Miki Maunsell)
Ross Birchall	...	EVP - Young Boy
Peter Bryant	...	EVP - Man
Bill Tarling	...	Presence #1
Chuck Walkinshaw	...	Presence #2
Colin Chapin	...	Presence #3
April Telek	...	John's Secretary
Michale Ascher	...	Woman

Directed by
Geoffrey Sax

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Niall Johnson		written by

Produced by
Paul Brooks	....	producer
Simon Brooks	....	executive producer
Stephen Hegyes	....	executive producer
Scott Niemeyer	....	executive producer
Jonathan Shore	....	associate producer
Norm Waitt	....	executive producer
Shawn Williamson	....	producer

Original Music by
Claude Foisy

Cinematography by
Chris Seager

Film Editing by
Nick Arthurs

Casting by
Maureen Webb

Production Design by
Michael S. Bolton

Art Direction by
Greg Venturi

Set Decoration by
Penny A. Chalmers

Costume Design by
Karen L. Matthews

Makeup Department
Howard Lau	....	fabricator
Keith Lau	....	fabricator
Mary L. Mastro	....	hair stylist: Michael Keaton (as Mary Mastro)
Gene McCormick	....	makeup artist
Julio Pallares	....	makeup assistant: special effects
Robert Ryan	....	makeup artist: Michael Keaton
Adina Shore	....	key hair stylist
Deborah Slonowski	....	first assistant makeup artist
Margaret Solomon	....	key makeup artist
Bill Terezakis	....	special makeup effects coordinator
Maureen Terezakis	....	special effects makeup coordinator
Barbara J. Wozniak	....	assistant hair stylist (as Barb Wozniak)
Vince Yoshida	....	makeup assistant: special effects (as Vincent Akira Yoshida)
Emanuela Daus	....	assistant makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Nicola Instone	....	post-production supervisor
Lisa Sweet	....	post-production supervisor: Pepper Post
Pascal Verschooris	....	production manager
Emma Zee	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Karin Behrenz	....	third assistant director
Glenn Bottomley	....	second assistant director
Graham Cairns	....	trainee assistant director
Eunice Choi	....	assistant director
Richard Coleman	....	first assistant director

Art Department
David Allcock	....	storyboard artist
Tony Beck	....	set dresser
Doris Deutschmann	....	graphic designer
Roy Obermann	....	lead carpenter
Kimberley Regent	....	property master
Ling Yang	....	storyboard artist
Don Yanko	....	scenic carpenter

Sound Department
Gianluca Buttari	....	foley editor
Gianluca Buttari	....	foley recordist
Jose R. Castellon	....	adr recordist
Mike Grimes	....	sound effects editor
Tirso Guinon	....	sound effects editor
Stewart Henderson	....	dialogue editor
Hugh Johnson	....	sound designer
Hugh Johnson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Deni King	....	adr supervisor
Patrick Knup	....	voice recordist: French version
Melissa Lake	....	foley artist
Ben Meechan	....	sound effects editor
Mark Noda	....	boom operator
Bernard O'Reilly	....	sound designer
Bernard O'Reilly	....	supervising sound editor
Adam Sharpe	....	adr mixer
William Skinner	....	sound mixer
Jack Stew	....	foley artist
Andrew Stirk	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Turner	....	sound technical coordinator
Michele Woods	....	dialogue editor
Hilary Wyatt	....	supervising dialogue editor
Miha Jaramaz	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Mark Kenna	....	consultant: Dolby film sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
James Kozier	....	special effects supervisor
Tim Storvick	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Sean Afshar	....	co-visual effects sequence coordinator
Simon Allmark	....	visual effects editor
George Barbour	....	digital artist
Louis Bravo	....	visual effects editor
Gavain Browne	....	compositor
Sarah Cloutier	....	visual effects coordinator
Tom Collier	....	digital compositor
Graham Cristie	....	digital effects supervisor
Darren Frankel	....	head of post production: Stargate Digital
Simon Giles	....	visual effects supervisor
Pawel Grochola	....	digital artist
Martin Halle	....	visual effects: pre-vis
Kyle J. Healey	....	visual effects
Christian Jelen	....	lead cgi artist
Jared Jones	....	previs artist
Sharon Lark	....	visual effects producer
David Margolis	....	digital compositor
Jennifer McEachern	....	on-set supervisor
Pablo Renedo	....	digital compositor
Brendan Taylor	....	visual effects coordinator
Paul Vorsman	....	title sequence designer
Kenneth Bailey	....	visual effects: Stargate Digital (uncredited)
Chad Schott	....	visual effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Ed Anders	....	stunt driver
Garvin Cross	....	lead stunt double
Randy Lee	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Sandes Ashe	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Scott Cozens	....	second assistant camera
Ken Decker	....	generator operator
John Dekker	....	gaffer
Glen A. Dickson	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Chris Helcermanas-Benge	....	still photographer
Simon Jori	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Richard M. Lobb	....	grip
Wayne McAuley	....	grip
Marty McInally	....	Steadicam operator
Marty McInally	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Paul T. Murakami	....	grip
Rod Newby	....	rigging gaffer
Jesse Olver	....	grip
Jos Oman	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Darren Plester	....	grip
Greg Rideout	....	lamp operator
Derek Saari	....	lamp operator
Jesse Sannerud	....	camera trainee
Igor Shtenz	....	grip
Richard Sinclair	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Julie Tanas	....	lamp operator
Michael Taschereau	....	key grip
Max Torroba	....	playback operator

Casting Department
Abigail Barbier	....	adr voice casting
Louis Elman	....	adr voice casting
James Forsyth	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Linda Leduc	....	assistant costume designer
Glenna Owen	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Jill Allanson	....	telecine assistant
Chris Andrews	....	negative cutter
Rhonda Blewett	....	telecine assistant
Sarah Carefoot	....	dailies colorist
Simon Giblin	....	digital on-line editor
Lalit Goyal	....	first assistant editor
Nicola Instone	....	post-production coordinator
Gary Lam	....	assistant editor
Veronica Marcano	....	negative cutter
Jet Omoshebi	....	digital intermediate colorist
Shane Warden	....	on-line editor

Music Department
Scott Cochran	....	score mixer
Lee Kerr	....	music editor
Brian Leff	....	music coordinator
Randy Gerston	....	music supervisor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
James Wayne Spencer	....	driver: van
Jason Wayne Spencer	....	driver: van

Other crew
Natalie Allan	....	script coordinator
Lawren Bancroft-Wilson	....	office production assistant
Michael Barnes	....	financial legal services
Dale Bhagwagar	....	publicist
Vitomir Bogdanovic	....	production assistant
Leon Thomas Braun	....	production assistant
Trevor Brokop	....	production assistant
Raimey Casiro	....	key production assistant
Hsun-Wei David Chang	....	assistant: Mr. Shore (as David Chang)
Jessica Clothier	....	script supervisor
Chris Doss	....	executive in charge of finance
Byron Drinkle	....	playback coordinator
Shalia Edl	....	first assistant production coordinator
Karyn Edwards	....	legal counsel
Brad Erickson	....	key production assistant
Alexander Glua	....	production assistant
Suraj Gohill	....	production lender
Jonathan Heine	....	production financing
Joel Hurley	....	location scout
Greg Jackson	....	location manager
Anne Jacobsen	....	production accountant
Krista Johnston	....	clearance
Micah Kelpin	....	assistant: Mr. Williamson
Steve Lee	....	digital online assistant
Shane Lennox	....	assistant location manager
Alan Martin	....	production executive
Jarod McCullough	....	security officer
Cameron Morris	....	production assistant
Samantha Morris	....	assistant: Mr. Williamson
Elizabeth Mueller	....	post-production accountant
Alexander Nicolas	....	marketing
Michele O'Flanagan	....	production coordinator
Mary Quinn	....	assistant: Mr. Hegyes
Iain Read	....	digital online assistant
Karina Sax	....	assistant to director
Tracy D. Smith	....	assistant to producers
Jason Wayne Spencer	....	production assistant
David Tamkin	....	trainee assistant location manager
Stephen Tibbetts	....	stand-in
Dan Lee West	....	assistant to producers
Annie Wilkinson	....	set tutor

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures
• Gold Circle Films
• White Noise UK Ltd.
• Brightlight Pictures
• Endgame Entertainment (in association with)

Distributors

• Senator International (2005) (worldwide) (all media) (world sales)
• Entertainment Film Distributors (2005) (UK) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (2005) (USA) (theatrical)
• Bioscop (2005) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International Finland (2005) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Gulf Film (2005) (United Arab Emirates) (theatrical)
• Independent Films (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Panasia Films (2005) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• Shaw Organisation (2005) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• TVA International (2005) (Canada) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2005) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2005) (Germany) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2005) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Vértigo Films (2005) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Entertainment in Video (2005) (UK) (DVD)
• TVA Films (2005) (Canada) (all media)
• Tien (2007) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2005) (Finland) (DVD) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Stargate Digital London (digital visual effects)

Other Companies

• Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC)  financing
• Film Incentive B.C.  financing
• Gold Circle Films  cofinancing
• London Editing Machines Ltd.  editing equipment
• Pepper Post Production  digital intermediate post-production
• Senator International  cofinancing
• UK Computamatch  negative cutting
• Videosonics Cinema Sound  sound post-production
• Videosonics Cinema Sound  sound re-recording

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence, disturbing images and language.

Runtime:

101 min | Sweden:94 min

Country:

Canada | UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Taiwan:PG-12 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Malaysia:18SG | Portugal:M/16 | Iceland:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Chile:14 | Czech Republic:15 | Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIA | Ireland:15 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #40685)

Filming Locations:

Burnaby Hospital, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The recording used in the trailer that is attributed to Stanley Searles ("I love you.") is thought to be the "ghostly" voice of Searles himself, a former politician who died in 2002. The recording was said to have been made by Searles' daughter, an well-known EVP researcher named Karen Mossey.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jon is eating a sandwich trying to get some of the dead to contact him on his TV's, his facial hair changes from scruffy, to shaved, and back and forth.

Quotes:

Susie Tomlinson: It's almost like she didn't die. Two days ago I get a call from my father, and then you show up?
Jonathan Rivers: I don't understand. I've been getting messages from your grandmother for a week now.
Susie Tomlinson: No, that's not possible, she just passed away two days ago.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hearing Is Believing: Actual EVP Sessions (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

In My Nursery

Works because of set design, cinematography and atmosphere

Jonathan Rivers (Michael Keaton) is a successful architect. His wife, Anna (Chandra West) is an even more successful novelist. When Anna goes missing one night, they fear she is dead. Suddenly, an odd man named Raymond Price (Ian McNeice) shows up and tells Jonathan that his wife has been trying to contact him from "the other side", via Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVPs). Rivers also gradually gets wrapped up in EVPs, which lead him to some unusual situations and the heart of a mystery.

I had a very divided reaction to White Noise. Some aspects were excellent, but in many ways, the film had potential that was never actualized. There are also some flaws that kept drawing me out of the film's universe. Overall I felt the film worked, but probably not as writer Niall Johnson and director Geoffrey Sax intended.

Let's talk about what the film did right first. The major assets, as mentioned in the title of my review, were the production/set design, cinematography and overall atmosphere. The latter largely hinges on the first two. The production/set design and cinematography were nearly perfect. Everything was focused on the idea of white noise, especially the most well known visual depiction of white noise--television "static" or "snow". The credits introduced a motif of jarring intrusions of white noise, which occasionally recurred throughout the film (although perhaps not enough). There were clever instantiations of a visual "white noise" theme in the sets, such as the outside waterfall on the lower level of Jonathan's apartment building, and the wall of glass blocks inside his apartment. The color scheme was white, silver and blue, washed out so that the film had an almost black and white feel. There were also more abstract references to white noise, such as the running water motif (water dynamics are mathematically chaotic, as is white noise, which is also thought of as being literally random), and the arcing electricity. All of this combined to provide a wonderful, gloomy atmosphere, and in another film, would easily compensate for any minor flaws to bring the film up to a 10.

However, there are a number of problems with White Noise. Keaton's performance was the major sticking point for me. He seems aloof and brooding throughout the entire film. While that may have been perfect for Batman, it doesn't work for me here. Both McNeice and Deborah Kara Unger (as Sarah Tate) were fine, but their roles were minor enough to not be able to carry the film. I usually like Keaton a lot, and I can't say that I dislike him here, but his performance is very odd and off-putting.

Another problem was the pacing. For a long time, White Noise may as well have been a realist drama. While that's fine for other films, it also doesn't tend to work in a horror/thriller. The only directors I've seen really able to pull that combination off effectively are Alfred Hitchcock and M. Night Shyamalan. It takes so long to get to the horror/thriller part of the story that many people likely either lose interest by that point, or they're interested because they'd rather see a realist drama, and the more supernatural ending will be unsatisfying for them. The pacing also doesn't fit with the white noise/chaos motif. This is a film that should have been edited like a Michael Bay vehicle.

Finally, I had a number of problems with the story. One, there are quite a few superfluous elements (such as Jonathan's son). Two, although I'm not someone who usually complains about genre combinations, there was an attempt to make White Noise both a "benevolent spirit" story, ala Ghost (1990) and a Ring (2002)-like otherworldly threat. The two just didn't meld. Three, the thriller aspect, which enters primarily at the climax of the film, seems too tacked on to engender an appropriate emotional reaction from the audience. And four, the supernatural aspects and especially the "twist revelation" of the ending are very rushed and unpleasantly ambiguous, possibly in an attempt to hide the fact that the plot in these respects wasn't very well thought out. There is a tremendous amount of potential in the script, and it is entertaining enough to marginally recommend, but this seems more like an early draft that was rushed to completion, or possibly a film that suffered a lot of studio meddling.

The bottom line is that while there are enough positive elements to make White Noise worth a watch to serious genre fans and students of film-making, do not expect the story to grab you by the short and curlies, and do not expect much of a resolution. Enjoy the film primarily for its visuals. I'm generously rating the film a 7 out of 10.